A record of documented arms, meaning and origin, researched for the Fae family of France.
hollyTruth, and protection through winterJ. B. Rietstap, Armorial Général, Gouda: G. B. van Goor Zonen, 1884–87
Blazon (the actual original written record)“D'or à trois feuilles de houx de sin.”
The Fae arms were recorded in Normandie, c. 1663.
Normandie held a dense crowd of knightly families on some of the best farmland in France. Its men had fought and settled abroad for generations, and a family that sent sons to war needed a shield they could be recognised by.
This is where the arms were entered in the register. Families often moved to other parts of the country, so the same name can turn up in more than one region.
The body that granted and recorded arms in France in this period.
Reigning in France when the Fae arms are first recorded.
In France, a coat of arms was a mark of honor that passed down through the male line to all legitimate descendants. Families often used the same shield without changes to show their shared heritage. If a branch wanted to stand out, they could add a small mark to their shield to show their specific place in the family tree.
The family name Fae traces its roots back to the northern region of France known as Normandie. Historical records confirm that members of the family were well-established in this area by the year 1663. During the seventeenth century, Normandie was a bustling center of agricultural and maritime activity, which likely shaped the daily lives and occupations of early family members. The name itself is thought to be linked to the Old French word for fairy or enchantment, suggesting that it may have originally functioned as a descriptive nickname for a person with a mystical or ethereal personality. As these early ancestors lived through the complex social changes of the French monarchy, they helped build the foundation for the family legacy that would eventually spread far beyond their original home in the French countryside.
Latin term referring to the Fates or goddesses of destiny.
